ElementalDose

Same elemental magnesium · two salts · snapshot 2026-08-10

Magnesium lactate vs sulfate: 1,665–1,963 vs 991–2,028 mg of compound for 200 mg of magnesium

Magnesium lactate is 10.2–12.0% elemental magnesium and magnesium sulfate is 9.9–20.2%, so 200 mg of magnesium needs 1,665–1,963 mg of lactate against 991–2,028 mg of sulfate: 3 vs 2–3 size 00 capsules at powder density 0.8 g/mL, the top of the usual 0.6–0.8 range. 0 of 1 capsule labels naming lactate alone are above the assumed size 000 capacity at powder density 0.8 g/mL, against none for sulfate (no capsule label names it alone). Neither salt has a ranked US retail price as of 2026-11-02.

computed from chemical formulas
lactate for 200 mg Mg1,665–1,963 mg10.2–12.0% magnesium · 3 size 00
sulfate for 200 mg Mg991–2,028 mg9.9–20.2% magnesium · 2–3 size 00
Exceeds size 0000 of 1 · nonelactate · sulfate capsule labels
Cheapest by declared elemental magnesium, per 100 mg, within each saltlactate none · sulfate none0 and 0 ranked offers · 2026-11-02
dumbbell · lactate vs sulfate · compound mass for 100, 200 and 400 mg magnesium, 1,665–1,963 vs 991–2,028 mg at 200 mg · chemistry 2026-08-10
Compound mass for the same elemental magnesium: dark dot sulfate (9.9–20.2%, lower mass bound), grey dot lactate (10.2–12.0%, upper mass bound); the labels give each salt's full range.
Chart data
Chart labels and values for the main chart
Displayed chart text
100 mg magnesium
sulfate 495–1,014 · lactate 833–981
200 mg magnesium
sulfate 991–2,028 · lactate 1,665–1,963
400 mg magnesium
sulfate 1,981–4,057 · lactate 3,331–3,925

Data release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · registry snapshot 2026-08-10 · latest price observation 2026-11-02 · chemistry 2026-10-17

Elemental: The magnesium itself; the rest of the compound weight is the partner molecule.

Compound: The whole salt that must physically fit in a capsule; a lower magnesium fraction means more compound for the same magnesium.

How much lactate or sulfate carries the same elemental magnesium?

At the same elemental amount, sulfate (9.9–20.2% magnesium) always needs less compound than lactate (10.2–12.0%): for 400 mg of magnesium, 1,981–4,057 mg against 3,331–3,925 mg. That is the mass of powder per dose; how much of it is absorbed is what the studies below measured.

computed
Compound mass and size 00 capsules for lactate and sulfate
Elemental magnesiumlactate compoundlactate size 00sulfate compoundsulfate size 00
100 mg833–981 mg2495–1,014 mg1–2
200 mg1,665–1,963 mg3991–2,028 mg2–3
400 mg3,331–3,925 mg5–61,981–4,057 mg3–6

lactate: anhydrous 12.01% or dihydrate 10.19% (238.48 g/mol); sulfate: anhydrous 20.2%, heptahydrate 9.9%; hydration ambiguity stays a range.

Source · Chemical formulas and NIH DSLD labels · snapshot 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method

Estimated salt mass versus assumed capsule capacity

0 of 1 capsule labels naming lactate alone are above the assumed size 000 capacity at powder density 0.8 g/mL, against none for sulfate (no capsule label names it alone). Verdicts use the most favourable hydration and the most units per serving at powder density 0.8 g/mL, the top of the usual 0.6–0.8 range; the audited registry as a whole has 8 of 137 capsule labels above size 000.

computed with assumption
Capsule verdicts for lactate and sulfate labels
SaltAudited capsule labelsFits 0 or 00Needs 000Exceeds 000
lactate1100
sulfate0000

Source · NIH DSLD labels; mass balance · recognized salt only; snapshot 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method

What does each cost per 100 mg of elemental magnesium, within its own salt?

No ranked US retail price is matched for either salt as of 2026-11-02.

computed
Price per 100 mg of declared elemental magnesium, within each salt
SaltRanked offersLowest per 100 mgMedian per 100 mgObserved
lactate0nonenone2026-11-02
sulfate0nonenone2026-11-02

Source · Amazon via licensed data provider; NIH DSLD · unique ASIN × date; prices observed 2026-10-26 to 2026-11-02 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method

Has any study measured lactate and sulfate side by side?

One study in the PubMed-checked registry measured both salts in the same design; 2 involve lactate and 2 involve sulfate in total. They measured outcomes of the salts, not of any label.

measured
Registry studies involving lactate or sulfate
YearStudySalts measuredPubMed
2005Study of magnesium bioavailability from ten organic and inorganic Mg salts in Mg-depleted rats using a stable isotope approachoxide, chloride, sulfate, carbonate, citrate, gluconate, lactate, aspartate, glycinate16548135
2001Bioavailability of US commercial magnesium preparationsoxide, chloride, lactate, aspartate11794633
2019Timeline (Bioavailability) of Magnesium Compounds in Hours: Which Magnesium Compound Works Best?sulfate, oxide, taurate, citrate, malate29679349

Source · PubMed-checked study registry · registry checked 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method

How many labels name both lactate and sulfate?

No label names both lactate and sulfate as of 2026-08-10, against 6 labels naming lactate and 4 naming sulfate.

measured
Labels naming both salts
LabelDeclared elemental per servingNIH DSLD
No label as of 2026-08-10

Source · Chemical formulas and NIH DSLD labels · snapshot 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method

What does every dose from 25 to 1,000 mg of magnesium need in each salt?

The table converts 40 elemental amounts, 25 to 1,000 mg in 25 mg steps, into compound mass and size 00 capsules for both salts, against 730 mg per size 00 capsule at powder density 0.8 g/mL, the top of the usual 0.6–0.8 range. The first eight rows are shown; the rest open below.

computed
Compound mass reference, 25 to 1,000 mg of elemental magnesium
Elemental magnesiumlactate compoundlactate size 00sulfate compoundsulfate size 00
25 mg208–245 mg1124–254 mg1
50 mg416–491 mg1248–507 mg1
75 mg624–736 mg1–2371–761 mg1–2
100 mg833–981 mg2495–1,014 mg1–2
125 mg1,041–1,227 mg2619–1,268 mg1–2
150 mg1,249–1,472 mg2–3743–1,521 mg2–3
175 mg1,457–1,717 mg2–3867–1,775 mg2–3
200 mg1,665–1,963 mg3991–2,028 mg2–3
32 additional rows
Compound mass reference, 25 to 1,000 mg of elemental magnesium, additional rows
Elemental magnesiumlactate compoundlactate size 00sulfate compoundsulfate size 00
225 mg1,873–2,208 mg3–41,114–2,282 mg2–4
250 mg2,082–2,453 mg3–41,238–2,535 mg2–4
275 mg2,290–2,699 mg41,362–2,789 mg2–4
300 mg2,498–2,944 mg4–51,486–3,043 mg3–5
325 mg2,706–3,189 mg4–51,610–3,296 mg3–5
350 mg2,914–3,435 mg4–51,734–3,550 mg3–5
375 mg3,122–3,680 mg5–61,857–3,803 mg3–6
400 mg3,331–3,925 mg5–61,981–4,057 mg3–6
425 mg3,539–4,171 mg5–62,105–4,310 mg3–6
450 mg3,747–4,416 mg6–72,229–4,564 mg4–7
475 mg3,955–4,661 mg6–72,353–4,817 mg4–7
500 mg4,163–4,907 mg6–72,476–5,071 mg4–7
525 mg4,371–5,152 mg6–82,600–5,325 mg4–8
550 mg4,580–5,397 mg7–82,724–5,578 mg4–8
575 mg4,788–5,643 mg7–82,848–5,832 mg4–8
600 mg4,996–5,888 mg7–92,972–6,085 mg5–9
625 mg5,204–6,133 mg8–93,096–6,339 mg5–9
650 mg5,412–6,379 mg8–93,219–6,592 mg5–10
675 mg5,620–6,624 mg8–103,343–6,846 mg5–10
700 mg5,828–6,869 mg8–103,467–7,099 mg5–10
725 mg6,037–7,115 mg9–103,591–7,353 mg5–11
750 mg6,245–7,360 mg9–113,715–7,606 mg6–11
775 mg6,453–7,605 mg9–113,839–7,860 mg6–11
800 mg6,661–7,851 mg10–113,962–8,114 mg6–12
825 mg6,869–8,096 mg10–124,086–8,367 mg6–12
850 mg7,077–8,342 mg10–124,210–8,621 mg6–12
875 mg7,286–8,587 mg10–124,334–8,874 mg6–13
900 mg7,494–8,832 mg11–134,458–9,128 mg7–13
925 mg7,702–9,078 mg11–134,581–9,381 mg7–13
950 mg7,910–9,323 mg11–134,705–9,635 mg7–14
975 mg8,118–9,568 mg12–144,829–9,888 mg7–14
1,000 mg8,326–9,814 mg12–144,953–10,142 mg7–14

Source · Chemical formulas and NIH DSLD labels · snapshot 2026-08-10 · release 2026-08-10-f441aa9f · CSV · method